María Zardoya, lead singer of The Marías, wants you to know that what you see is what you get. “There’s not much difference between performance María and normal María,” she tells me one day over Zoom. When it comes to beauty, that means a touch of gloss, blush on the apples of her cheeks, and most importantly—a bit of smudgy eyeliner. “I use the same makeup on and off the stage,” she adds. “Just try to keep things natural, fresh, and sometimes a little grungy.”

To get her signature look, Zardoya’s loving YSL Beauty—a fandom that started when she was in high school. “I always loved visiting my brother and sister-in-law in New York because they had the nicest things,” she says. “When I stayed in their apartment in Manhattan, I felt so chic and cool. And she±d let me use her makeup, like this gold wand that was a highlighter and concealer duo. It was magic.” Of course, that gold wand was the iconic, much loved Touche Éclat. Today, she’s using the same products (along with newer launches like the Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick and Make Me Blush) to get the look and has been named a YSL Maker. It’s the Parisian brand’s balance of sophistication and edge that really speaks to Zardoya, both as an artist and a person. It’s something that allows her to truly be herself.

“I am trying to find the balance between being as authentic and real with fans as possible, but at the same time retaining a part of who I am for myself,” she reflects. “Sometimes I am worried that, if I give too much of who I am, then I will feel too judged. I’m not playing a character. It’s all about balance, and I am trying to find that balance.”

Courtesy YSL Beauty